


In Our Bedroom After the War

by accidentallyanoctopus



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff, Bonding over trauma, Dave in 2019, Guilt, Lullabies, M/M, Nightmares, PTSD, Wanted something with Klaus comforting Dave cuz it always seems to be the other way around, Yiddish lullaby my gentile ass found on the internet, accidental violence, minor dissociative episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 13:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19151662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accidentallyanoctopus/pseuds/accidentallyanoctopus
Summary: Dave lashes out in his sleep, and Klaus comforts him in the aftermath.





	In Our Bedroom After the War

It was an accident. That's what Dave keeps trying to tell himself. But he can still hear Klaus' scream of pain, still remember the confusion and fear he felt when he awoke to it. Still feel the hot red blood on his knuckles, still see Klaus flinch away when he reached up to comfort him.

“You hit me! Dave, you hit me!”

Klaus says it's okay, that he knows Dave didn't mean to, that it was an instinctive reaction. Dave doesn't feel okay, though. He'd always told himself he'd never be the kind of man to hurt someone he loved. He would never be like the guys who joked about beating the shit out of their girlfriends and wives, who talked about physical abuse like it was normal. And hadn't Klaus already been through enough pain and suffering? What kind of monster could ever cause him even the slightest bit more?

Dave sits on the edge of the bed, hands clenching and unclenching, Klaus' dried blood sticky between his fingers. The beautiful engagement ring his fiance had bought him had caught Klaus' lip, slicing it open, a ridiculous amount of blood flowing down his chin and neck. He hears the tap running in the bathroom. He wants to get up, go in there, apologize more, help Klaus in whatever way he can, but it's like he's stuck to the bed.

An eternity later, Klaus returns, holding a washcloth. He thrusts it at Dave. Dave just stares blankly back, his brain refusing to comprehend the situation. Klaus' face falls, but he stoops, picks Dave's hand from his lap, and gently begins to clean away the blood. How long has Dave been crying?

“Shh, shh, baby,” the other man whispers. “It's alright. You're alright.”

Klaus' soothing words just make Dave feel even worse. It's him who should be comforting his fiance, not the other way around! He tries to vocalize this, but all that comes out of his mouth is a dull, flat sound. He tries again, with the same result. Everything feels echoey and strange, like the world has been suddenly tilted slightly. It's similar to the way he felt after he and Klaus time-traveled here to 2019. Distant, only half real.

“Dave? Dave, you with me, honey? Hey, c'mon, stay with me, Dave.”

When Dave reenters reality, Klaus' hands are on his face. The other man is staring at him with a worried look on his face. Dave tries to smile at him, but it must not be very convincing, because Klaus doesn't smile back. He tries to speak, and thank god, actual words come out.

“I'm sorry...” he croaks. “I don't deserve this. You...don't deserve this. I hit you...I hurt you...”

Klaus leans in and kisses Dave on the forehead. He kisses Dave on both cheeks, on his nose, and then finally on his lips. His hands move from Dave's face, and he's pulled into a hug. Klaus gently rocks them from side to side, and doesn't stop until Dave relaxes his body and returns the embrace.

“Trauma fucking sucks, doesn't it?” Klaus says finally. “It's like, I already went through this shit the first time, why do I have to deal with it anymore? Why can't I just be done, you know?”

Dave nods. Is that what this is? Is he dealing with trauma? He knows that many of his fellow soldiers came back from the war with mental scars, unable to cope with what they'd seen and done, but Dave never thought he would be one of them. He's supposed to be the strong one, anyway; the one who has his shit together, so he can take of Klaus during his breakdowns.

“Don't feel bad, baby. I've done it too. I almost clawed a poor guy's eye out when I was in rehab! You're fine!”

But Dave doesn't feel fine. He feels sick to his stomach and horribly, overwhelmingly tired. He just wants to lie down, to sleep, to maybe, just maybe, never wake up again.

“Sorry,” he says again. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry.”

“Shh, Dave. I know. I forgive you. Let's go back to bed.”

Dave allows Klaus to push him back onto the mattress, and the other man pulls him close, so Dave's head is resting against his chest. It is indeed very soothing, to be so close to his fiance and to hear the steady thud of his heartbeat. But Dave still can't get over what he did, how he hurt Klaus. He just feels so fucking guilty.

“ _Under Baby’s cradle in the night_  
Stands a goat so soft and snowy white  
The Goat will go to the market __  
_To bring you wonderful treats_  
_He’ll bring you raisins and almonds_  
_Sleep, my little one, sleep.”_

Dave gasps, tears starting to flow down his face again. Is he really? Is Klaus really singing the lullaby that Dave taught him? The one his mom used to sing to him as a little kid? God, he's so in love with this man, so incredibly lucky to have him.

Klaus repeats the soft tune over and over, stroking Dave's hair until eventually, finally, Dave feels himself relax. He feels his body stop shaking, his heart stop pounding. He's safe, he's okay, and most importantly, he is loved. With those thoughts in mind, he drifts off to sleep, snuggled warmly in Klaus' embrace.

 


End file.
